Image forming apparatus

Abstract

A control unit of an image forming apparatus controls a developer supply amount per unit time in a coating agent removal sequence based on information about a driven amount of an image-bearing member unit acquired from a first memory of the image-bearing member unit via a communication unit, and information about a driven amount of a developing unit acquired from a second memory of the developing unit via the communication unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming apparatus including an image-bearing member unit and a developing unit that are attachable thereto and detachable therefrom,
 wherein the imaging bearing member unit comprising: 
 a rotatable image-bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; 
 a cleaning member configured to come into contact with the image-bearing member to remove developer from a surface of the image-bearing member; and 
 a first memory configured to store information about a driven amount of the image-bearing member unit, 
 wherein the developing unit comprises: 
 a developer bearing member configured to supply developer to the surface of the image-bearing member to develop the electrostatic latent image into a developer image, at least a part of the developer bearing member being coated with lubricant; and 
 a second memory configured to store information about a driven amount of the developing unit, 
 the image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a communication unit configured to read the information stored in the first memory and the information stored in the second memory; and 
 a control unit configured to control execution of a coating agent removal sequence for removing the lubricant from the developer bearing member, the coating agent removal sequence being performed in a row without performing an image formation based on the image information input from an apparatus communicably connected to the image forming apparatus, 
 wherein the control unit controls a developer supply amount per unit time supplied from the developer bearing member in the coating agent removal sequence based on the information about the driven amount of the image-bearing member unit acquired from the first memory via the communication unit, and the information about the driven amount of the developing unit acquired from the second memory via the communication unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to reduce the developer supply amount per unit time in the coating agent removal sequence as the information about the driven amount of the image-bearing member unit acquired from the first memory indicates a larger cumulative driven amount. 
     
     
       3. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to increase a total developer supply amount in the coating agent removal sequence as the information about the driven amount of the developing unit acquired from the second memory indicates a larger cumulative driven amount, and the control unit is configured to reduce a degree of increase as the information about the driven amount of the image-bearing member unit acquired from the first memory indicates a larger cumulative driven amount. 
     
     
       4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to perform control in such a manner that the developer supply amount per unit time in the coating agent removal sequence in a case where the image-bearing member unit is not new and the developing unit is new is smaller than the development supply amount per unit time in the coating agent removal sequence in a case where the image-bearing member unit is new and the developing unit is new. 
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the lubricant is charged to the same polarity as that of the developer, and an absolute value of a charge amount per unit mass of the lubricant is greater than an absolute value of a charge amount per unit mass of the developer. 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the driven amount of the image-bearing member unit is determined based on the number of rotations of the image-bearing member. 
     
     
       7. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the driven amount of the developing unit is determined based on the number of rotations of the developer bearing member. 
     
     
       8. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the developer supply amount per unit time is expressed by ((k×X)÷DL)×(1/Z)×y
 X denotes a process speed corresponding to a movement speed of the rotatable image-bearing member, 
 K denotes a peripheral speed ratio defined as a ratio of a peripheral speed of the rotational image bearing member to a peripheral speed of the developer bearing member, 
 DL denotes a length of one turn of the developer bearing member, 
 Z denotes how many of areas obtained by dividing an entire surface of the developer bearing member correspond to an area in which a pattern of the developer is formed in one turn of the developer bearing member, and 
 y denotes a supply amount of developer to be supplied in one turn of the developer bearing member. 
 
     
     
       9. An image forming apparatus including an image-bearing member unit and a developing unit that are attachable thereto and detachable therefrom, wherein the imaging bearing member unit comprising:
 a rotatable image-bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; 
 a cleaning member configured to come into contact with the image-bearing member to remove developer from a surface of the image-bearing member; and 
 wherein the developing unit comprises: 
 a developer bearing member configured to supply developer to the surface of the image-bearing member to develop the electrostatic latent image into a developer image, at least a part of the developer bearing member being coated with lubricant; and 
 the image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a communication unit configured to aquire first information about a driven amount of the image bearing member unit and second information about a driven amount of the developing unit; and 
 a control unit configured to control execution of a coating agent removal sequence for removing the lubricant from the developer bearing member, the coating agent removal sequence being performed in a row without an image formation based on the image information input from an apparatus communicably connected to the image forming apparatus, 
 wherein the control unit controls a developer supply amount per unit time supplied from the developer bearing member in the coating agent removal sequence based on the first information about the driven amount of the image- bearing member unit acquired by the communication unit, and the second information about the driven amount of the developing unit acquired by the communication unit. 
 
     
     
       10. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to reduce the developer supply amount per unit time in the coating agent removal sequence as the information about the driven amount of the image-bearing member unit acquired by the communication unit indicates a larger cumulative driven amount. 
     
     
       11. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to increase a total developer supply amount in the coating agent removal sequence as the information about the driven amount of the developing unit acquired by the communication unit indicates a larger cumulative driven amount, and the control unit is configured to reduce a degree of increase as the information about the driven amount of the image-bearing member unit acquired by the communication unit indicates a larger cumulative driven amount. 
     
     
       12. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to perform control in such a manner that the developer supply amount per unit time in the coating agent removal sequence in a case where the image-bearing member unit is not new and the developing unit is new is smaller than the development supply amount per unit time in the coating agent removal sequence in a case where the image-bearing member unit is new and the developing unit is new. 
     
     
       13. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the lubricant is charged to the same polarity as that of the developer, and an absolute value of a charge amount per unit mass of the lubricant is greater than an absolute value of a charge amount per unit mass of the developer. 
     
     
       14. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the driven amount of the image-bearing member unit is determined based on the number of rotations of the image-bearing member. 
     
     
       15. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the driven amount of the developing unit is determined based on the number of rotations of the developer bearing member. 
     
     
       16. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the developer supply amount per unit time is expressed by ((k×X)÷DL)×(1/Z)×y
 X denotes a process speed corresponding to a movement speed of the rotatable image-bearing member, 
 K denotes a peripheral speed ratio defined as a ratio of a peripheral speed of the rotational image bearing member to a peripheral speed of the developer bearing member, 
 DL denotes a length of one turn of the developer bearing member, 
 Z denotes how many of areas obtained by dividing an entire surface of the developer bearing member correspond to an area in which a pattern of the developer is formed in one turn of the developer bearing member, and 
 y denotes a supply amount of developer to be supplied in one turn of the developer bearing member. 
 
     
     
       17. An image forming apparatus including an image-bearing member unit and a developing unit that are attachable thereto and detachable therefrom, wherein the imaging bearing member unit comprising:
 a rotatable image-bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is formed; 
 a cleaning member configured to come into contact with the image-bearing member to remove developer from a surface of the image-bearing member; and 
 wherein the developing unit comprises: 
 a developer bearing member configured to supply developer to the surface of the image-bearing member to develop the electrostatic latent image into a developer image, at least a part of the developer bearing member being coated with lubricant; and 
 the image forming apparatus comprising: 
 a communication unit configured to acquire first information about a driven amount of the image bearing member unit and second information about a driven amount of the developing unit; and 
 a control unit configured to control execution of a coating agent removal sequence for removing the lubricant from the developer bearing member, 
 wherein the control unit controls a developer supply amount per unit time supplied from the developer bearing member in the coating agent removal sequence based on the first information about the driven amount of the image- bearing member unit acquired by the communication unit, and the second information about the driven amount of the developing unit acquired by the communication unit 
 wherein the developer supply amount per unit time is expressed by ((k×X)÷DL)×(1/Z)×y 
 X denotes a process speed corresponding to a movement speed of the rotatable image-bearing member, 
 K denotes a peripheral speed ratio defined as a ratio of a peripheral speed of the rotational image bearing member to a peripheral speed of the developer bearing member, 
 DL denotes a length of one turn of the developer bearing member, 
 Z denotes how many of areas obtained by dividing an entire surface of the developer bearing member correspond to an area in which a pattern of the developer is formed in one turn of the developer bearing member, and 
 y denotes a supply amount of developer to be supplied in one turn of the developer bearing member.